Everyday Life in a Northumbrian Manor:
Animating the Manor - Learning Resources
Manorial Courts & Customs
Navigate through the slides using the side arrows, or download a copy of the PowerPoint here.
Manorial Courts
Manors the had right to hold their own courts. This is what made them different from estates.
Manors had two types of court:
Court Baron – This court was held by the Lord/Lady of the Manor, and focused on enforcing the manorial customs.
Court Leet – This court dealt with offences which went beyond manorial customs, usually focusing on minor criminal offences.
Activity – Manorial Courts
Read the transcript of the manorial document above.
- What type of courts does it mention?
- When do the courts take place?
- Who is in charge of the court?
- What does the document say about a jury?
- What other roles associated with the court are mentioned?
Our glossary may help with any words that are unfamiliar.
Activity – Manorial Courts
Read the transcript of the manorial document above.
- What types of offence were people presented at the court for?
- How were they punished?
- How much did they have to pay the court?
- How much does the amount translate to today?
- How many days of work did the amount equal when the document was made?
The Royal Mint Museum’s resource on money in the past, the Bank of England Inflation Calculator, and the National Archives Currency Converter may help you with this activity.
Manorial Customs
Manorial customs are the rules of the manor. Customs differed from manor to manor. The Court Baron enforced the customs and issued punishments to those who had broken the rules.
Activity – Manorial Customs
Read the transcripts of the manorial documents above.
- What are the customs for the Manor of Tynemouth?
- Which custom was broken in the manor of Lowick?
- Do the customs of the two manors seem similar or different?
- How was the broken custom punished?
- Imagine you are the Lord/Lady of a manor. Come up with your own set of manorial customs.
- Come up with a set of punishments that you would issue if each custom was broken.
You can find more customs and punishments here.
